Cibrán Sierra Vázquez

Cibrán Sierra Vázquez serves as University Professor of Chamber Music at the Institute of Chamber Music, Mozarteum University since 2020. Previously, he held teaching positions at the University of Gothenburg and the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Aragón in Zaragoza. He is the founder and violinist of the internationally acclaimed Cuarteto Quiroga, which performs at major venues including Wigmore Hall, Concertgebouw, and Lincoln Center.

His educational background includes:

• Conservatorio Superior de Música in Vigo, Galicia
• Amsterdam Conservatory (Master of Music)
• Oberlin College, USA (Artist Diploma)
• University of Gothenburg, Sweden (Soloist Diploma)
• Specialized string quartet studies at Reina Sofia School (Madrid), Basel University of Music, and European Chamber Music Academy

Sierra Vázquez's research centers on chamber music as a metaphor for enlightened society, emphasizing democratic values like courtesy and diversity. His work spans historical performance practice, orchestral leadership, and music education, informed by collaborations with ensembles such as Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique and conductors including John Eliot Gardiner and Jordi Savall. He has published in The Strad, El Pais, and Scherzo, and authored the book El Cuarteto de Cuerda: Laboratorio para una sociedad ilustrada (2014).

His scientific awards include:

• Guido-Vecchi-Preis (Göteborg, 2003)
• 1st Prize at the Voldrich Competition (Sweden)
• Bärenreiter-Preis (Jenuesses Musicales Competition, Spain 2000)
• Spanish National Music Prize (2018) for Cuarteto Quiroga
• Spanish Radio Culture Prize for Cuarteto Quiroga
• Gold Medal of the Palau in Barcelona for Cuarteto Quiroga

As an educator, Sierra Vázquez founded and directed the outreach chamber music series Sen Batuta in Ourense (2007-2013). His mentoring extends through Cuarteto Quiroga's global tours and collaborations with artists like Martha Argerich and Jörg Widmann. The quartet, described by The New York Times as "exquisitely balanced" and The Strad as "impeccable with flawless technique", maintains an active performance schedule across Europe, Asia, and the Americas while releasing critically acclaimed recordings on Cobra and Harmonia Mundi labels.